Classical Concerts This Month in Washington, D.C.

Noontime Cantata Series Organ Prelude Prelude and Fugue in E Minor, BWV 533 Prelude and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 549 Cantata Wer sich selbst erhöhet, der soll erniedriget werden, BWV 47

Bach’s Polyphonic Heritage Chamber Series What vocal traditions did Bach absorb from his ancestors, predecessors, and models? This year’s Vocal Polyphony program—devised by Bach scholar Dr. Daniel R. Melamed—offers a rewarding perspective into the music that shaped Bach’s creative environment. Featuring motets and liturgical works for four to eight voices from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, this program surveys the vocal traditions Bach inherited from the musical past. These works reveal a lineage of expressive craftsmanship and devotional fervor that would resonate variously throughout Bach’s own writing. A group of eight singers from the Washington Bach Consort, joined by organ and violone, bring this broad-ranging repertoire to life. Music by Palestrina, Gallus, Andrea Gabrieli, Bernhard, Schütz, Walter, Knüpfer, Johann Christoph Bach, and Johann Ludwig Bach showcases the breadth and refinement of the polyphonic heritage Bach himself received. Read the Program Notes Running Time: Approximately 95 minutes without intermission

The U.S. Army Concert Band and Army Chorus concert is free and open to the public; tickets are available through the Hylton Center for the Performing Arts box office starting Tuesday, August 4 at 10 AM. Walk-ins welcome at 15 minutes prior to start.

Official public classical performance at the University of Maryland's Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

Official public music recital at Washington National Cathedral.

Works by Copland, Chadwick and Rodgers celebrating America; individual works unannounced. Current RCC concert standard adult single ticket $25, not senior $18/youth/military/first-responder $5 or four-concert subscription division. December’s separately ticketed church concert excluded. Fees/stock unconfirmed. One individually reviewed public physical classical performance in the 2026–2027 edition. Exact current primary identity/full date/main clock/physical venue required; no guessed end, unnamed cast, biography repertoire, private activity or virtual duplicate. New seasons, changed native IDs and moved performances require continuity review; a missing listing is not cancellation. Exact current individually dated full-year main clock and specifically Hunters Woods RCC building, not ambiguous generic RCC, assumed CenterStage room or office address. November agrees across current home/season. December/January home weekday/date conflicts remain held rather than choosing season dates silently. Current Molina/NOVA public ensemble billing only, no child roster, ages, schools, unnamed winner or historical subject as cast. Optional price/works/end independent of schedule; no scheduler change.

Free and open to the public.

Bach’s Polyphonic Heritage Chamber Series What vocal traditions did Bach absorb from his ancestors, predecessors, and models? This year’s Vocal Polyphony program—devised by Bach scholar Dr. Daniel R. Melamed—offers a rewarding perspective into the music that shaped Bach’s creative environment. Featuring motets and liturgical works for four to eight voices from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, this program surveys the vocal traditions Bach inherited from the musical past. These works reveal a lineage of expressive craftsmanship and devotional fervor that would resonate variously throughout Bach’s own writing. A group of eight singers from the Washington Bach Consort, joined by organ and violone, bring this broad-ranging repertoire to life. Music by Palestrina, Gallus, Andrea Gabrieli, Bernhard, Schütz, Walter, Knüpfer, Johann Christoph Bach, and Johann Ludwig Bach showcases the breadth and refinement of the polyphonic heritage Bach himself received. Read the Program Notes Running Time: Approximately 95 minutes without intermission